DMT's ground-based instruments measure water droplets, black carbon, bioaerosols, and other aerosols. For more information, click on one of the links at left.
Many of our airborne instruments can be adapted for ground-based use via a customized aspirated inflow system.

Water and Water Droplets

Meteorological Particle Spectrometer (MPS): This precipitation-measuring optical disdrometer, used by the National Weather Service for rain and drizzle research, measures the size distribution, fall velocity and rain rate of droplets from 50 µm to greater than 6.4 mm. More Info

Ice and Cloud Nuclei

Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCN): This instrument counts cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). It is being used in laboratories to measure how different materials form cloud droplets, in urban environments to study how pollution affects cloud and precipitation formation, and in weather modification to determine when and where to seed clouds. More Info

Spectrometer for Ice Nuclei (SPIN): This instrument is the first commercially available ice nuclei counter, with a particle detection range from 0.5 – 15 μm. Particle detection allows for individual particle sizing and discrimination of ice and water particles using polarization change in the scattered light. More Info

Bioaerosols

Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS-NEO): The WIBS provides highly sensitive measurements of mold and other bioaerosols. Its UV wavebands have been selected to optimize detection of common bioaerosols (tryptophan and NADH). More Info

Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2): This is an ideal instrument for measuring black carbon, known as soot. It is the only probe in the world that directly measures the black carbon in individual aerosol particles. Its high sensitivity and fast response makes it the premier instrument for characterizing pollution sources and measuring black carbon in snow, ice or water. More Info

Other Aerosols

Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS): The UHSAS is an optical-scattering, laser-based aerosol particle spectrometer for sizing particles in the 0.06 – 1 µm range. The instrument counts particles in up to 100 user-specified sizing bins, with a resolution as fine as 1 nm/bin. This high sensitivity makes the UHSAS ideal for aerosol research and filter testing. More Info